Howard University Students Protest Housing Conditions

After 33 days of #Blackburntakeover, Howard University's protest has ended. October 12, 2021 students of the #livemovement and affiliates entered into the campus social hub and main cafeteria intending to remain seated until their demands as followed were met: 1. In-person town hall with President Wayne A.I. Fredrick and administration, 2. Permanently reinstate all affiliate Board of Trustee (students, alumni and faculty) seats, 3. President Frederick and Trustee Board meet with student leaders and outline a housing plan to protect current and new students and 4. Legal, disciplinary and academic immunity for all participants occupying inside and outs Backburn.

The students accelerated a plan in the works, known as Howard Forward, while adding needed attention to the structure and governance of universities, even more specifically HBCUs. "We are here to be leaders, advocates, and change makers", says protester Aniyah Vines. The demands are simple and unreasonable. The first demand to meet with the President and Administration is equal to meeting your school principal and knowing who works in the office, basic schooling. The second demand, very similar to what proposal S would have allowed city of Detroit citizens, is to allow current students (grad and undergrad), alumni and faculty on board sharing power on governance to the university. On November 13, 2021, Howard University's alumni hosted Howard Unity Day. "Howard University Family: Come express your love for the positive legacy of Howard and affirm a better future at the same time," read the flyer. Two days later the school came to a resolution and ended the protest. The students are the school, their voice is necessary for progression.

At Howard University I met with a student leader, who'd rather remain anonymous, spoke about the nature of the campus, student health and safety, funding and housing. The student did along with other leaders had an in person meeting with President Frederick to discuss the campus climate.

The anonymous student leader brought up humanity and being able to see it in everybody. The leader elaborated on the tension between students and administration as it comes to communication. Howard University's newspaper, The Hilltop, echo the lack of communication and transparency given from administration. The student leader informed me, the Howard Forward 2019-2024 master plan is elaborate and takes time to read through. Which led to the third demand, a clear housing plan to secure current and incoming classes

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This third demand exposes a lot. As an alumni I can testify that traditionally and annually Howard University does accept more students than housing that is available, why?, great question. Two dorms on campus are not even a decade old and all the dorms on campus have been "renovated" within this decade. So why and how is housing remaining an issue?

Like most universities, juniors and seniors are advertised to move off campus. As senior Cody H puts it, he moved off campus as a sophomore, "to help myself out independently and some friends", he says, "just grinding hard" he's been able to support himself, open a business and help his mother. Others aren't as fortunate as Cody as nationally housing prices rise and so does rent. The average rent for the DC area is $1843. The students pay over $18,000 in other cost (books and on-campus room & board). What are the perks?

A student like Ty, a freshman from Jacksonville, Florida needs to seek off campus housing as she is faced with HVAC issues. "I have no heat or air in my room," says Ty, a resident of Truth Hall. The HVAC issue didn't stop there as sophomore Latrell recalls seeing an air filter on a maintenance cart and asked them to replace his filter, "it was really dirty, dusty and moldy" states the sophomore about his old filter. These occurrences left many students questioning who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of housing.

The identity of responsible parties to upkeep the dorms was named Corvias, whose websites states, "a trusted public-private partner to state and local governments, the military and higher education." Corvias have public complaints too. During the protest Elizabeth Warren tweeted for private-equity reform, she shares an article about the situation at Howard University, as a clear indication of private- equity profits being more desirable than students' health and safety. "It's not just a Howard or HBCU conversation", says Howard's faculty member Dr. Carr. "The hedge fund model of universities, we see with the strike in Columbia, there is no solidarity in this response to the corporate university."

Surprisingly enough Wayne State University's dorms and apartments are also managed by Corvias. Wayne State University junior, Avery H, recalls her freshman dorm life short and sweet due to Covid-19 only granting her a semester and a half of on-campus, "It was a good dining hall downstairs." Current Wayne State freshman Diondra R, says, "The service people that are coming to fix, have yet to fix," referring to the work order she put in for a broken light in her newly renovated dorm. Wayne State freshman Taylor D, may have a more serious problem, as she states, "Part of the bed was cracked and my RA was like that's like a hazard and nobody has come to fix it, look at it or anything," Taylor D jokes about if she dies climbing onto her bed, however she does bring up a safety issue.

While not the same type of safety, the last and fourth demand the protesters at Howard University have is immunity from legal, academic and disciplinary action for all those occupying Blackburn. Howard University has a history of protest. "Protesting was part of my education at Howard University," says Newark Mayor and HU alum. "The students very much so won this one. They demonstrated effectively how to protest. They commanded social media and activated students."

Howard University's administration seemingly is learning. On the 32nd day of the protest, wildly enough, less than a decade old dorm, the pipes burst flooding the fourth floor of College Hall North. The staff was very timely and did properly handle the situation; offering and managing temporary arrangements for the students and rectified the situation. "Protest drives change, I accept and applaud it," says President Wayne Frederick in his announcement on Monday November 15th the day in which the protest ended. The students too made an announcement Monday at the conclusion of the protest, thanking everyone for their support, vaguely sharing their experience and claiming a victory. No details were given on the compromise from either party.